BACK-TO-BACK GAMES The Carolina Hurricanes begin a four-game road trip against Northwest Division opponents on Tuesday against the Calgary Flames at Pengrowth Saddledome (9 p.m. ET, FSN South, Hurricanes Radio Network). The Hurricanes will travel to Edmonton following Tuesday’s game for a Stanley Cup Final rematch against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday before concluding the road swing with games at Vancouver and Colorado on Friday and next Tuesday, respectively.

The Hurricanes are coming off of a three-game home stand that saw Carolina score a 4-2 win against Montreal on Nov. 30, and a 5-2 win against Boston on Dec. 2. The defending Stanley Cup champions have won three of their last four games and have outscored opponents 15-9 in those four games. The Hurricanes are 1-0-0 this season against Western Conference opponents, with their lone contest coming on Nov. 18, a 5-4 win against Dallas at the RBC Center in Raleigh. Carolina went 7-2-1 against Western Conference opponents in 2005-06.

MILESTONE WATCH

Defenseman Mike Commodore played his 100th Hurricanes game on Dec. 2 against Boston

CAROLINA NOTES Seven Hurricanes players return to their home region of Western Canada as the team plays consecutive games against Northwest Division opponents Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. Brunei-born but Calgary-bred winger Craig Adams; Ottawa-born but British Columbia-bred center Rod Brind'Amour; Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, natives Mike Commodore and Ray Whitney; Saskatoon-born but Sherwood Park/Edmonton-bred goaltender Cam Ward; Red Deer, Alberta native Glen Wesley; and Maple Ridge, BC, native Andrew Ladd all lay claim to a Western-Canadian upbringing. Hurricanes netminder and Denver, Colorado, native John Grahame will visit his hometown when the Hurricanes play the Avalanche next Tuesday at the Pepsi Center. Grahame has gone 1-2-1 in five career appearances against the Avalanche, posting a 3.10 goals-against average.

CAROLINA AT HOME: 8-4-1CAROLINA ON THE ROAD: 7-6-2 CAROLINA ON THE POWER PLAY: 25-of-168 (14.9%) CAROLINA SHORTHANDED: 132-of-155 (85.2%)

INJURY REPORT

Left wing Cory Stillman, shoulder, day-to-day, missed 28 games

Defenseman Frantisek Kaberle, shoulder, out, missed 28 games

AGAINST THE FLAMES Tuesday’s game marks the first meeting between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Calgary Flames since Dec. 11, 2003, a 1-0 Calgary victory at Pengrowth Saddledome. Now-Bruins right wing Shean Donovan scored the game’s lone goal that night as Calgary netminder Miikka Kiprusoff earned a 23-save shutout in the second-to-last game of Paul Maurice’s coaching tenure with Carolina. The teams meet just once this season as Southeast Division teams travel to Northwest Division teams’ buildings this year. The Hurricanes franchise posts a 16-34-7 all-time record against the Flames organization, with a 10-13-5 home record and a 6-21-2 road record. AGAINST THE OILERS Wednesday’s game marks the first meeting between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Edmonton Oilers since the Hurricanes defeated the Oilers in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals on June 19, 2006. It also marks the teams’ first regular-season meeting since Dec. 9, 2003, a 3-2 Hurricanes win in Edmonton. Carolina broke out to a 3-0 lead in that game on two goals by now-departed Hurricanes forwards Marty Murray and Radim Vrbata before the Oilers struck twice in the game’s last 3:58. The teams meet just once this season as Southeast Division teams travel to Northwest Division teams’ buildings this year. The Hurricanes franchise posts a 18-30-12 all-time NHL record against Edmonton, including an 11-11-7 home record and a 7-19-5 mark in the Oilers’ home building.